Baby ‘less than an hour old’ found on sidewalk covered in ants

HOUSTON — A newborn baby was found outside a Houston apartment complex early Thursday covered in ants, according to multiple media reports.

According to KTRK, the baby girl was less than an hour old and still had the umbilical cord attached. A resident at the complex found the baby around 5:30 a.m. and called 911.

“I heard some crying and wining and crying, and I kept walking until I got closer to the noise, and then I look at the ground and there was a baby down there,” Albert Peterson, the man who found the baby, told KHOU.

Deputies said if Peterson had not found the baby, officials would probably be investigating a homicide.

The 21-year-old mother is in custody and is currently undergoing medical and psychological evaluations. A man who was living with the woman was also taken into custody, according to KTRK.

Officials hope to place the child with a family member. If that is not possible, the child will be placed in a foster home, according to KTRK.

HCSO investigators say hours old infant was found. Infant female is in good condition. Female has been detained